University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Mark Guhne gets pay raise

photo UTC golf coach Mark Guhne.

Keeping GuhneUTC's entered into an agreement of understanding with men's golf coach Mark Guhne. It includes the following:$80,000 -- In base pay for next year with a $5,000 raise each of the next two years$1,500 -- For a team GPA of 3.0 or better$1,500 -- For a single year APR score of 1,000$1,500 -- For winning the SoCon title$1,500 -- For reaching the NCAA finals$5,000 -- For winning the NCAA championship

Mocs golf coach Mark Guhne has built the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga program into a national contender.

UTC athletics director Rick Hart rewarded Guhne with raise and a mutual financial agreement covering the next three school years.

Guhne's new agreement includes a base-pay raise from about $70,000 to $80,000 for the upcoming season with a $5,000 raise for each of the next two seasons plus bonuses included for academic and post-season success.

"Mark is our head coach, and we try to be pro-active to make sure that all of our coaches are compensated fairly and feel valued," Hart said. "So Mark and I have had conversations about what that looks like. We'll be adjusting his pay effective July 1st.

"It is to reflect the success our golf program has had on and off the course."

Football coach Russ Huesman, men's basketball coach John Shulman, women's basketball coach Wes Moore are the only three UTC coaches who have long-term binding contracts.

"It has to go through a formal approval process," Hart said. "All adjustments in compensation for coaches must go through the boar and system approval."

Guhne has been pursued by other national programs since taking the Mocs to No. 1 in the national rankings in the fall of 2008.

Duke, Auburn and most recently, Vanderbilt, have tried to lure Guhne away from his home town, his home school -- where he was a wrestler -- and the Scenic City golf scene.

"I'm really glad that UTC wants to keep me, and this is where I want to be," Guhne said. "[Vanderbilt] was something I had to think about because it's an SEC job and there are a lot of great people up there. But I think it was a pretty easy decision.

"The community has been good to us, and you and what's happened here in the last eight years, and it's the place I hope to stay the rest of my career."

Guhne has guided the Mocs to two national championships, six straight NCAA regional tournaments and four Southern Conference championships. The 2011-12 Mocs won the Central Regional with senior Stephan Jaeger earning medalist honors.

"We've done neat things and we're on the verge of being really good," Guhne said. "This class of freshmen that I've got coming in would be hard for any coach to walk away from."

The memorandum, written earlier this month, praises Guhne's accomplishments.

Hart wrote, " During your tenure as head coach, the men's golf program has achieved success at an increasingly high level... In short, your leadership has brought notoriety to our department, our university and the city of Chattanooga."

Guhne spent Wednesday morning watching incoming freshman Michael Monroe participate in the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions.

He had plans for the afternoon.

"I forgot to tell you, that the fishing around Chattanooga isn't bad either," Guhne joked. "I'll stop by the Bass Pro shop on the way to the hotel."

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